


Never Had to Battle with No Bulletproof Vest

by Vav



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: GTA-ish AU (eventually it'll matter youll see trust me), M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:44:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vav/pseuds/Vav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam loves James loves Lawrence loves Matt loves Sean loves Joel. They think that's enough trouble as it is, especially in Los Santos. But they learn that sometimes, trouble shows its bearded face with a capital "T."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. That Time When Lawrence Found Out

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo multichapter! This will be a long process I'm so sorry, but I have over half of this written, it just needs to be edited and put up! Please let me know what you think on here or over on tumblr (lokisbutt), I've been workin' on this for a while aha. Prepare for several chapters of building a poly relationship!!

Adam believed he was straight for decades, until he realized he thoroughly enjoyed the company of another man. It happened by accident during a spontaneous threesome with his last girlfriend and one of her coworkers. He closed his eyes mid-blowjob and when he opened them, there was five o’clock shadow around his cock instead of ruby red lipstick. After he came from the mere sight of the guy touching himself, he started to figure that maybe he wasn’t the straightest pole in the lot.

This becomes infinitely clearer when James is balls-deep inside him. You know how they always say that the best ideas occur in the shower? No. The best ideas occur when you have a dick up your ass.

It starts off drunkenly. The stream at work devolves into shots upon shots as the guys get progressively worse at whatever the hell it is they’re playing. Every time Adam meets his death, James puts a hand on his thigh and looks at him in bewilderment. But the touches move higher and higher as the stream goes on, and by the end of it, Adam has been squirming more than he has been drinking or laughing or dying. James notices.

They take a taxi to Adam’s place, where James is offered a spot on the couch for the night, and are obnoxious and giggly the whole ride. They laugh as James throws a hefty tip at the driver, laugh quietly as they walk past the downstairs neighbor’s apartment, and laugh much too loudly on the way up the stairs. But, once inside, James goes quiet and Adam’s chuckle turns into a low moan as a hand presses against the front of his jeans. James has him up against the wall next to the door in no time, causing Adam to bump his head on a mirror.

“If you don’t want this, then you should probably say so,” James mumbles, making eye contact before pressing an open-mouthed kiss to Adam’s lips. Adam wants it, wants it so bad after nine months with no other human touching him like that, so he doesn’t say anything. He gets a jolt of confidence and pushes James across the room and onto the couch, but becomes self-aware all too soon and retreats shyly to his bedroom to finish himself off.

After one embarrassingly sloppy grinding session comes the half-clothed handjobs following nights at the bar, which leads to hazy makeout sessions the mornings after, when they can only vaguely remember the debauchery that occurred just hours before. Then the nearly-coherent blowjobs during convention season, which turn into completely sober sex one Saturday afternoon. Adam’s eager to experience James without the buzz, and is met with the delicious feelings of James’ fingers digging into his hips, James’ hot kisses all over his neck, and James’ whole body tensing forward as he catapults over the edge. Adam figures that it’s time to check the “definitely not straight” box in his mind that has been nagging at him for a little while.

They start “dating” after that. Adam doesn’t want to call it dating, but, in hindsight, that’s what it is. They go out after work, eat dinner, catch the occasional movie, and end the day on one of their couches with a few bottles of beer between the two. Sometimes they’ll fuck, but that isn’t all there is to their dynamic. They both know that.

“You okay?” James asks, tilting his head toward Adam but not peeling his eyes away from the television screen as he surfs through the channels. Adam has been bouncing his leg up and down for about five minutes, and James knows there has to be a reason behind his antsy antics.

“I’m not quite straight,” Adam blurts out. James’ thumb gives up on the remote and he turns his attention to the man next to him. “And I’m not sure what we’re doing.”

“I’m not straight either,” James shrugs, focusing back on the screen. “And we’re looking for something to watch that isn’t sports or a reality show.” He isn’t good at dealing with situations like these head on, so he figures he’ll let Adam take the reins. As if Adam’s qualified.

“No, you know what I mean,” Adam says with a roll of the eyes. “What are we supposed to call ourselves when we’re buddies, but we also fuck each other quite regularly and enjoy it? Like, sober? But...we’re not fuck buddies.”

“Well, what would you call a girl that you shared that kind of relationship with?”

“I’d probably call her my girlfriend,” Adam answers simply after a second or two of thinking. James turns back to him and looks him in the eye, raising a brow.

“Then that would make me your boyfriend,” he retorts. A smirk finds its way to his face. “But only if you want.” Adam searches for something to say in James’ eyes, then diverts his gaze before replying.

“Can we go on a date?” Adam asks in the smallest voice he has. James scoffs, but can’t hide his wide grin.

“You’re paying.”

-

James and Adam are experts at hiding it. They don’t act any different around each other at work, because they know it would be toxic (or just awkward) if any of their coworkers find out. Hell, they’re still trying to find  _ themselves _ out. So when James sees Lawrence through the peephole of his front door following a series of knocks on a Friday night, he’s naturally concerned. He would have thought that Lawrence was in trouble or needed something urgently if it weren’t for the overly smug smile on his face.

“Hey, James!” Lawrence greets enthusiastically when the door opens, hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. His bike is propped against the stucco half-wall that exists to keep James and his neighbor safe from the concrete two stories below. It’s still too soon to talk about the broken kickstand (but it was  _ totally _ not Lawrence’s fault). 

“Uh, hey, Lawrence,” James replies awkwardly, immediately stepping outside and closing the door behind him. “What’s up? You need something? Your bike tires give out?”

“Whoah, so many questions. Don’t you think I should be the one asking questions?” Lawrence teases. He narrows his eyes, but keeps the complacent grin. “Adam here?”

“What? No,” is the answer that leaves James’ lips too quick to be taken seriously. Lawrence nods, takes a step closer, and reaches around James to knock on the door yet again. Within seconds, the pair can hear footsteps on hardwood followed by a hand on the doorknob. James brings his hand to his face as the door opens and Adam reveals himself.

“Oh, shit,” Adam mumbles. He looks back inside and at the door and winces in embarrassment before slamming the door shut.

“Okay, Adam’s here,” James admits, as if Lawrence hadn’t seen the man with his own two eyes. “I didn’t want you to think we were purposely leaving you out or something.”

“Trust me, I’m quite alright with being left out of whatever it is you guys are doing,” Lawrence assures him with a nod. “How long has it been, by the way?”

“He just got here like an hour ago.”

“Oh, stop, you know what I’m talking about,” Lawrence scoffs, but James shakes his head, eyes wide in sweet ignorance. Or pseudo-ignorance. He knows what Lawrence is on about, but hopes to avoid the conversation for as many agonizing seconds as possible. “How long have you two been fucking?”

“What? We’re not.” Lawrence lets out a great, big, exasperated sigh and pushes past James to open the front door himself. 

“Kovic, how long have you and James been fucking?” he asks once more. Adam is stationed in the kitchen, out of Lawrence’s sight, but waltzes around the corner into the foyer so that he can make eye contact. Well, almost. He would like to look at Lawrence, but he’s too busy turning as red as a tomato to bother. James follows Lawrence inside, but Adam can’t look at him, either.

“Well, it depends what you consider fucking, really,” Adam says with a nervous laugh. Now it’s James’ turn to sigh. Lawrence, however, is positively radiant. He’s very proud of himself for figuring out their arrangement. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and turns around to face James again.

“If you have a problem with this, or whatever, then I suggest you leave,” James advises coldly. “We’re not doing anything wrong, so I hope you don’t take this up with someone at work.”

“Jesus Christ, calm down, I’m not here to bust you or anything. I just think it’s funny. And unexpected,” Lawrence states. “But, if I’m interrupting something,” he waggles his eyebrows, “then I’ll be more than happy to leave.” Adam, still tinted pink, shakes his head and motions for the two to follow him into the kitchen. He grabs three beers from the refrigerator and hands them out, but Lawrence eyes his bottle with hesitation once it’s in his hand. “Really, if I’m bothering you, I can go. I was just on my way home from dinner.”

“Lawrence, please,” Adam insists. The bespectacled man still looks hesitant, however.

“I can’t drink and bike,” he explains. They don’t need to be reminded of the time when Lawrence threw up on an officer that stopped him for not having his bike light on, but they are anyway.

“You can crash here, man, no worries.”

“Oh, right, I forgot that this is  _ your _ house, Adam,” James quips sarcastically as he opens his drink. He rolls his eyes and continues after a swig. “You can have the couch. I’ll even throw in a blanket.” Lawrence answers James’ offer with the opening of his beer.

“I appreciate your generosity,” Lawrence remarks. “I’m really not in the way of anything? Not to pry, but what _ were  _ you two up to before I got here?”

“We were just about to set up the sex swing, actually,” James jokes with a bright grin. The smile grows immensely when Adam chokes on his drink and turns red once more. “We got the flavored lube and the candy necklaces and the poppers ready to go. All we needed was the whipped cream. And the whip.” Adam composes himself enough to pardon the other man.

“What James is trying to say is that we were deciding what movie to watch tonight. I want to watch Mission Impossible, and James wants to watch that one movie with Lindsay Lohan where her doll comes to life and it’s Tyra Banks.” Lawrence lets out a sincere chuckle, pretending like he understands the argument.

“Both are impeccable films, so there’s really no wrong answer,” Lawrence shrugs. Adam rolls his eyes, because he knows that James will not stop giving him shit for weeks if they don’t watch his dumb movie.

They pile onto the couch, with Lawrence forcing the other two apart by sitting in the middle with the bowl of popcorn. He does  _ not  _ need to be a third wheel, so he makes sure the friends with benefits can’t touch each other during the movie that is intended for a pre-teen audience. About twenty minutes into the film, he throws his head back and laughs at a comment that James had made and bumps into a pair of intertwined hands. James and Adam quickly retract their hands as if that would prevent them from ever being connected in the first place. Lawrence simply looks straight ahead at the screen and focuses on the movie once more, offering a smirk to no one in particular. He smirks because it makes sense. Fuck buddies don’t curl up with each other on the couch for movie nights. Fuck buddies don’t hold hands in the darkness.  _ Fuck buddies don’t get attached. _ Or, they aren’t supposed to, at least.

Lawrence remembers the way that James had looked at Adam and Adam had looked at James, and decides that it’s perfectly safe to assume that they’re most  _ definitely _ attached.


	2. That Time When Adam Found Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you already know who it is. i'm really sorry this took so long to get up; i've been trying to balance editing this with fulfilling other writing prompts and doing well in school!! so here's the second chapter; let me know what you think! <3

There’s one fact that James has in the back of his mind that carries him through all of the chaos emerging inside of him. He loves Adam. He’s past the point of questioning that, because it’s just so easy to know. It only becomes a problem when he starts feeling things for Lawrence, too. Like how he started feeling things for Adam. But he doesn’t want to do a goddamn thing in the world to hurt Adam.

Adam is rugged and laidback and genuine and cynical and witty and exactly what he needed, needs, will always need. He cherishes every morning he gets to wake up to that peaceful face and count the freckles that dust it. But would it really be so bad if he got to take in that sight, then roll over and see Lawrence’s furrowed brows as he dreams?

‘Relationship with more than one person,’ is what he types into the search engine, and he holds his breath for half a second before results come up and oh thank God there’s a word for it. He had heard about men taking several wives, but is that even legal? Is that even the same thing he’s going through? He decides to keep looking into things, reading every article and forum he can find throughout the next few days, always making sure to clear his history after his search sessions. Even though he values honesty, he doesn’t need Adam getting worked up over something he doesn’t even know if he wants.

But James wants it. Well, James wants to try it. He knows he could be putting their relationship on the line, but if it means fulfilling his own personal ambitions, is that really such a bad thing? Yes. James is fucking terrified of losing Adam, so that is...the worst thing. But he has an obligation to make himself happy, so the only thing he can do is hope that Adam is understanding, at the very least.

James has never been good at serious conversations. That’s why he blurts out his research on polyamory while they’re changing into pajamas in Adam’s bedroom. Adam doesn't exactly catch on to where the conversation is going as he put on his flannel pants, just assumes that James will tie it into some theory he has regarding a movie or something. He has his shirt off when James tells him that he wants to try it out.

“Are you saying I’m not enough for you?” Adam accuses his boyfriend. His chest tightens and his breath catches in his throat, a feeling that’s all too familiar. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Isn’t the first time he doesn't meet someone’s expectations. 

_Is he tired of me? We see each other every day. I would get tired of me. I know I’m not super in shape. I should probably go to the gym more. He never said that I should, but maybe he’s been thinking it all along. Maybe I’m too moody or sarcastic and he’s finally realized how fucking annoying I am. Who has he met? Is it someone from the gym? Some chiseled Adonis with a killer smile and a personality to match? He’d be stupid not to leave me for him. James isn’t stupid._

“You know I’m not saying that,” James speaks quietly in response. He has his hands up in a cautionary position, wanting Adam to understand his intentions. But that doesn't stop Adam’s heart rate from picking up. He’s breathing heavier and faster, and James notices with soft eyes and raised brows. “Shh, it’s okay.” He steps closer to Adam, who takes a step back in response. “I’m not...I’m not saying any of this to hurt you. I just want to be honest with you, ‘cause I love you.” Adam’s eyes widen at that, and James is able to take another step forward without protest.

“Do you really?” Adam asks sheepishly. He’s not sure if that calms his anxiety or fuels it even more, but those words are nice to hear. James nods, the smallest of grins on his face, and closes the gap in between himself and his boyfriend.

“I love you a lot,” James tells him. “In fact, I’d consider you my favorite person.” He puts his hands on Adam’s biceps. “And I-”

“I love you, too,” Adam interrupts. It’s not a bad interruption, though. No, no, that’s the good kind of interruption. The kind that makes James’ heart flutter and shoot up to his throat like a rocket just after takeoff. No, James is _glad_. Even if Adam’s got a worried look plastered on his face, James knows he loves him and the value of that thought is enough to buy a ticket to cloud nine. “That’s why I’m scared.”

“You don’t need to be scared,” James comforts him, rubbing his hands up and down Adam’s arms. Hypocrite. James is scared shitless. “We don’t have to do this.” Adam hangs his head, but is met with James’ forehead against his own a few seconds later. “The most important thing to me is that you’re happy, so I don’t wanna do anything that would make you...not happy.” They pull apart, faces just a few inches away from each other, and Adam sighs.

“What if I get jealous?”

“Then you tell me,” James answers simply. “You need to tell me things. You can’t expect me to know what’s wrong unless you tell me. But this isn’t about me being with someone else. This is about _us_ being with someone who wants to be with _us_. Okay? I know I sound disgusting and mushy right now, but I want us to be happy.” Adam punctuates James’ sentence for him with a kiss. It’s soft and delicate and nothing like their first ones all those months ago.

“Just...just give me a few days,” Adam insists. “To think.”

“Of _course_ ,” James replies breathlessly. “Take as long as you need. I don’t know if this sweetens the deal, but, obviously, I’ll still fuck you into the mattress anytime you’d like.” He kisses Adam again with the same tenderness. “Day or night.” Again. “Drunk or sober.” Again. “Because I love you.” Again. “So much.” Adam can’t help but wrap his arms around James and rest his head on his shoulder, eyes screwed shut and smile wide on his face.

———

“Here’s a thought,” Adam breaks the minutes-long silence that had consumed him and Lawrence. While their coworkers are out to lunch, they’re stuck in the office awaiting a phone call. Lawrence is halfway through a roast beef sandwich, and the interruption nearly makes him choke on a bite. “Sorry.” Lawrence manages to swallow his food without dying, and spins around in his chair to face Adam. “People in relationships can...sleep with other people and it can still be cool, right? Like, there are situations like that?” If Lawrence had taken another bite, it surely would have killed him.

 

“Adam, what the _fuck_? Are you cheating?” Lawrence asks, truly concerned. That didn't go nearly as well as Adam had hoped. He had eventually decided, after a few weeks of contemplation and introspection and several drunken nights, that he’s way too into Lawrence to not at least attempt to date him. But even after many a long talk with James, they still have no idea how to properly bring it up to the guy.

“What? No,” Adam replies, and, honestly, he doesn't expect Lawrence to believe him. His voice keeps cracking and he’s got this uneasy sort of smile on his face, which makes Lawrence think that something is wrong. Adam always gets weird and nervous when he’s hiding something.

“Adam, you know you can tell me anything,” Lawrence reminds him. “I’m already keeping one secret of yours; another wouldn’t hurt anything.” Adam laughs, forced, as if that’s gonna ease the situation, but then he looks Lawrence in the eye.

“I would never do that to James,” Adam says sincerely. “Or anyone.” Lawrence eyes him carefully before nodding, seeming to believe him this time. “It was just a hypothetical question.”

“It’s a loaded question,” Lawrence shrugs. “And there are two answers I’m prepared to give you, so please stop me if you feel as if I’m not giving you the answer you want. It sounds like you’re defining either an open relationship or polyamory. They’re essentially the same concept, I think, except there are a few crucial differences. First of all-”

Adam’s phone rings. They never get back to the conversation; Lawrence gets swept up in writing and editing, and Adam’s doing on-camera work the rest of the day.

At the end of the workday, James, Matt, and Lawrence are the only ones left in the office. Matt has his headphones on, oblivious to anything besides editing, and the other two are shutting down all of the equipment and tidying up. Adam had murmured something about his interaction with Lawrence to James in passing, so James thinks he’ll give it a go, too. Their hastily thrown together plan is to bring up the subject until Lawrence takes the hint, and that’s what James tries to accomplish

“Hey, Lawrence?” James asks absentmindedly as he works on pushing everybody’s chairs in at their desks. Lawrence hums in response, too occupied with powering down his computer to use his words. “What’s that thing when multiple people bang each other?”

“James, you know what an orgy is,” Lawrence retorts flatly.

“Okay, wrong word choice. Date each other. Be with each other.”

“Ah, yeah, those are very different things.” Lawrence rubs at his jaw and sighs, then spins around in his desk chair a few times. “I think you’re getting at polyamory.” Nailed it. “I’d say polygamy, but I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. But yeah, polyamory. X dates Y, Y dates Z, Z dates X. That whole thing.” James doesn't really know what to say; he didn’t think he’d get this far. “It’s funny, Adam came to me with a similar question earlier. Maybe you should talk to him about it.”

“I already have.” Lawrence tilts his head to the side and squints at James. Someone clears their throat, but it’s not either of them.

“I won’t be in tomorrow, do you think someone could finish editing this gameplay or should I stay late to do it?” Matt inquires. James’ expression brightens when he’s reminded of Matt’s presence. Matt had been working diligently like a professional instead of muddying the office with talk of love and sex and curiosity. 

“I’ll get Spoole to do it,” James assures him with a nod. “Go home, Peake. Thanks for cleaning up Open Haus, by the way. I couldn’t focus.” Matt doesn't reply, instead just nods back at him and begins packing up.

“Why are you asking me about polyamory if you’re already familiar with it?” Lawrence regresses. He stands up, pushes his chair in, and crosses his arms.

“I’m not familiar with it, I just know what it is,” James answers. Lawrence looks confused. “As in, I don’t have any experience with it.” A pause. “Do _you_?”

“Ah, so that’s what you’re getting at,” Lawrence smiles. He slings his bag over his shoulder and motions for James to join him for the walk to the parking lot. “Bye, Matt.”

No, Lawrence doesn't have any experience. He had thought about it in the past, but never had the confidence nor proper timing to bring it up to anyone. He knew some people in college who tried it out for a few months, but it ended terribly. One lost interest but put on a front, one started fucking people on the side, and the last one was head over heels in love with two people who didn't love her back. That scared the living hell out of Lawrence. Scared him out of his interest in polyamory. He doesn't want to be the one with feelings that are unreciprocated. He unlocks his bike as he gives James some parting advice after his whole spiel: “Don’t be afraid to try it, but also don’t be afraid to end it.”

Once Lawrence bikes out of the parking lot, James gets in his car and lets out the most frustrated sigh his body can manage. He leans forward onto the steering wheel, but after a few seconds, his grimace turns into a smile. Maybe they can pull this shit off.


	3. That Time When Adam and James Did Something About It

They invite Lawrence over for drinks again (well, the first time didn't really come with an invitation) on a Friday night after work, this time at Adam’s place. Despite Lawrence insisting for a full ten minutes on going out to a bar, he finally agrees to a night in with his co-workers. He arrives with a six pack in one hand and a backpack over the opposite shoulder. They had promised him the couch again. But maybe he’ll walk out and leave the couch open to empty beer bottles and pizza boxes and promises.

They tear their way through an extra-large pizza, not even bothering to sit down at the table or even the couch. They eat around the kitchen counter and talk about what they’ll do for the rest of the night, Adam’s and James’ hands twitching and sweating every time they think about what they’ve agreed to bring up a little later on.

Lawrence makes the executive decision to marathon a movie saga until one or all of them pass out. He takes the couch, James sits on the floor in front of him, and Adam sits cross-legged in an armchair. James and Adam  _ could _ cuddle on the floor, but that would send the complete opposite image of what they’re trying to achieve tonight. They steal reassuring glances whenever Lawrence gets up to pee or grab more drinks. Every time, James’ eyebrows say ‘we don’t have to do this tonight’ and Adam’s eye roll replies ‘of course we’re doing this tonight, you idiot.’

And so they do it. Once the first movie is over, James fumbles with the remote until he’s able to shut the television off. Adam jumps up from his chair and trots over to the lightswitch, assaulting everyone’s eyes with the harsh, unnatural light within seconds. 

“What’s up?  Aren’t we watching all of them?” Lawrence questions, bringing himself up to a sitting position and placing his half-drained beer on the table.

“Oh, yeah, but we have something to tell you that you need to hear while as sober as possible,” James explains. He plops himself down in Adam’s seat, leaving the bearded man to pout and sit in front of his boyfriend on the floor. They both face Lawrence as he sits propped against the opposite end of the couch. He pushes his glasses up his nose and furrows his brow in anticipation. “Lawrence, you’re not, well, entirely straight, are you?”

What the fuck is this shit? Some sort of coming out intervention? What the  _ hell _ kind of question is that? Why is that  _ any  _ of James’ business? How did he...how did he  _ know _ ?

Lawrence goes on the defensive instantly in his mind, but only because James’ assumption is correct. He’s not straight. Lawrence loves women. Good god, does he love women. Women are beautiful and smart and soft and intuitive and they usually treat him right. But, in college he learned that sometimes men are easier to fall in love with. They showed him the love he craved, then took it away once it became inconvenient for them. It hurt, but the sting had left him wanting more. He had been with a guitar player who had calloused hands and long, shaggy hair and worn-down shoes who was not nearly smart enough for him. After three months it stopped working. He stopped letting Lawrence hold his hand and his hair after parties and Lawrence had decided he deserved better.

“I don’t...Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah,” Lawrence agrees to play along and not be difficult for just one moment in his life. He puts his hands up in faux surrender and rolls his eyes. “You caught me.” He doesn’t think about how James formulated that hypothesis. It’s Friday night. He’ll roll with the punches, even if there will surely be an interrogation session to come.

“I like you,” Adam blurts out once Lawrence lowers his hands. “In a more than platonic way.” James looks down at the man in front of him in bewilderment.  _ Adam, that’s phase four.  _ He upturns his hands and looks at Lawrence apologetically.

“Okay then,” James says with a sigh. “I like you, too. In that way.” 

Oh God. It’s an elaborate prank. What rise are they trying to get out of him? Is he supposed to confess his feelings and then be isolated for trying to break the two apart? What the  _ fuck _ ? He decides to question instead of reply.

“Is this why you idiots kept bringing up polyamory all damn week?” Lawrence inquires, still not sure if he should be frustrated or amused. His eyes dart from one face to another. Who could he trust? Maybe one of them has feelings for him and the other is just along for the ride. That’s not okay. He’s seen this before. He can’t go through with this, can’t let it happen.

“We were prepping you,” Adam shrugs. “Lubing you up for this conversation.” James pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. Adam hears his long, drawn-out sigh. “I try to be  _ funny _ when I’m nervous, James!”

“We like you, Lawrence,” James states sincerely upon opening his eyes. Lawrence’s cheeks are tinted pink like those of a goddamn cherub. “And I told Adam what you told me about what you had seen of it in the past. You know, like, your friends’ relationship crumbling tragically in the pits of hell.” Lawrence smirks at that. It’s not an inaccurate description. “And Adam said something really nice to me, and not stupid or immature at all.” James nudges Adam with his calf. Adam resents the action, but goes along with it anyway.

“I said that this is the most stable relationship I’ve ever been in, because I’m dating my best friend. And if we date  _ another _ one of our best friends, and not be assholes about it, I don’t see how we could possibly go wrong,” Adam speaks hesitantly, as if he had rehearsed those lines. He might have. Lawrence isn’t sure. Adam’s not the best with waxing poetic (if that’s what that was) on the spot. “We like you.”

“You like me,” Lawrence repeats to himself. The blush spreads to his neck and his heart is about to beat out of his chest. “You like me?” The two nod in unison. “You like me.” They wait with wary smiles for Lawrence to try a different combination of words, maybe something akin to an acceptance or a rejection. James wears an expectant little smile, but Adam’s worry lines show on his forehead “Sorry, this is hard for me to wrap my head around.”

“Sorry for springing it on you like this,” Adam apologizes. “We’re new.” James hums in agreement. He can see Adam rubbing his palms on his jean-clad thighs over and over again while they wait even longer for Lawrence to give an appropriate, coherent response. What a sight. His two boys losing their shit for the exact same reason:  _ ‘do they really feel the same?’ _

“I...like you too. I think,” Lawrence finally admits, eyes fixed on the carpet. “Both of you. Yeah.” He looks at both of them and nods, suddenly extremely certain of himself. “Jesus Christ.” That’s the response to the situation  _ and _ James’ smile. Both are bright and make him feel safe.

“I thought we broke you for a second there, Lawrence,” James jokes. Lawrence laughs nervously and shakes his head. “Hey.” Their eyes meet. “We like you. We’re sure of it. We want to give this thing a go because we care about you.” In that moment, it seems like James knows Lawrence better than Lawrence knows Lawrence. James knows that Lawrence needs the reassurance, because he’s the most skeptical person he’s ever met. And that’s beautiful. Lawrence is stubborn as hell, but James admires the shit out of that. James is stubborn, too, but not to Lawrence’s degree. He supposes he wants a balance in a way; one more passive boyfriend, one more aggressive boyfriend. If Lawrence is okay with that label eventually, of course.

“It took James and I a few months to even call what we did ‘dating,’ so you don’t have to worry about us rushing this with you,” Adam reassures him as well. “Granted, what we were doing was touching dicks a lot.”

“I like you both and I’m sure of it,” Lawrence mirrors James’ previous statement, sticking Adam’s comment in the back of his mind. “Jesus Christ, I was  _ not _ expecting this when you invited me over.  _ God _ . I...like you both. Yeah. Sounds about right.” And James and Adam just observe his little monologue with soft smiles on both of their faces. “I don’t...I need some water.”

“I’ll get some for you,” Adam offers, moving to get up from the floor.

“No, thanks, I got it,” Lawrence insists, but with a warm smile instead of the flat expression that usually occupies his face. “And when I come back down to reality, you’re going to tell me the answers to all of the questions I have. There are at least seven.”

They stay up until three in the morning, but they don’t pass the time watching movies. No, they talk and laugh and drink and keep their distance and reconfirm their  _ thing _ to each other at least every fifteen minutes. Despite the liquor, Adam and James manage to keep their hands off of each other so Lawrence isn’t uncomfortable. It’s easy when they remind themselves why they’re doing it. For Lawrence. He’s important, and tonight is about  _ him _ . Even when they head to bed (after Adam tucks Lawrence in on the couch and nearly knocks his glasses off the table, of course), they’re hesitant to touch. But James melts into Adam’s hands on his bare sides and back and chest when they get into bed. They chuckle breathlessly, excitedly, into each other's’ necks, then turn to lay back to back as they fall asleep.


	4. That One Time Things Started Becoming Normal

James presses a hand into the small of Lawrence’s back, guiding him into the bar, as if he needs assistance. Lawrence appreciates the gesture, though. They’re still getting used to the lingering touches and fond smiles and warm hugs. It’s not weird, just new. Adam’s just barely stopped looking at James for approval before giving Lawrence a peck on the cheek after work. It’s been three weeks and a few days, and they’re taking their damn time.

James still isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do when all three of them spend time together. They had gone to the park one Sunday and he had wanted to hold Lawrence’s hand. So, he did. He laced their fingers together nonchalantly, partly so that Adam wouldn’t see and feel left out. He just wanted to see what Lawrence’s hands felt like interlocked with his, and honestly, once he had Lawrence’s hand in his own, he never wanted to let go.

“I’m not jealous,” Adam had commented once he glanced over to see his boyfriends’ situation. James seemed to tense up, then reached for Adam’s hand, but Adam quickly rejected it and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I told you I would tell you if I was, right?” James nodded. “Okay, then stop panicking.” James felt infinitely reassured after that. “You’ve been a deer in headlights ever since you grabbed his hand. Cute, but unnecessary.”

“Beers? Or do you wanna start with the harder stuff?” Lawrence asks, drifting toward the bar while the other two scan the room for a table. He smirks as Adam gives him a playfully stern look. James guides Adam now, spotting a booth that opens up as a group of women make their way out of the bar. Lawrence leaves them momentarily, allowing them to claim the table as their own.

“I can’t wait to get you all liquored up for karaoke later,” Adam jokes, pressing a dry kiss to James’ lips before they sit down. It’s a half-circle booth, so James takes one side and Adam slides to the middle. 

“I can’t wait to get a taxi while you’re in the bathroom so I can leave you here,” James retorts with a raise of the brows. He reaches under the table to pat Adam’s knee, which is bouncing up and down to hopefully expel some of the nerves he’s got going.

“You’re a dick. Lawrence would never,” Adam grumbles, feigning offense. James gives him the same look. “Okay, he would.” They laugh to themselves, joking some more until Lawrence comes back with three beers, held at the necks, in one hand, and his phone in the other. “Thanks, babe.” It comes out naturally, but Adam goes wide-eyed nonetheless. He’d never called Lawrence that before. That word had been solely reserved for James up until this moment.

“Yup,” Lawrence responds casually. The term of endearment makes his heart palpitate, but just for a moment or two. He doesn’t need to cause a scene by freezing up and asking Adam to repeat himself. Adam clears his throat and picks up the conversation about karaoke again, letting Lawrence get up to speed and join in. “We’ll have to get you up on that stage, Kovic.” James hums in agreement, lips around the top of his bottle. “Make you sing an 80s love song.” That makes Adam blush, and Lawrence is all too aware of the new color Adam’s cheeks have adopted.

“Ooh, how about a power ballad?” James suggests, eyes lighting up. “ _ All I wanna do is make love to you. Say you will; you want me, too.”  _ James sings (terribly) a little too loud for Adam, who brings a hand up to his face and looks out at everyone to make sure nobody’s staring at them. He takes a swig of his beer as James continues humming the song. “Or if you don’t want to sing about fucking somebody, there’s always Whitesnake. Y’know, ‘Here I Go Again?’”

“Can you imagine?” Lawrence comments across the table, fingers toying with the bottle in front of him. “Kovic on his knees, mic stand-”

“Yeah, I can imagine him on his knees,” James quips in deadpan, then shoots Adam a mischievous grin. The bearded man simply turns redder, dropping his hand back down to his lap and staring at a fixed spot on the table. “But, go on.”

“Just rockin’ out, man,” Lawrence continues. “Looking at a hot guy in the front row the whole time. Giving him that bad boy vibe, ‘cause you’re independent and can’t be tied down.” Lawrence’s gaze feels  _ heavy _ on Adam’s face. Like Adam’s something to be  _ desired _ . Lawrence’s stare lingers even after he lets his eyes dart to James’ face instead.

“Oh, but he  _ can _ be tied down,” James says in the same tone as before. Adam rolls his head back to look up at the ceiling, wondering how he got trapped in his own personal hell. His ears are on fire, but he has to admit that he loves how his boyfriends are looking at him and talking about him. He feels like he’s been put on the spot, but doesn’t have to actually do any of the talking, as James and Lawrence are  _ more _ than happy to do so for the rest of the night.

“Is that so?” Lawrence asks, quirking an eyebrow in intrigue at Adam. James’ shit-eating grin falters just the slightest, but comes back with different emotions behind it. “God, you’re adorable.” It’s a simple statement, but it makes Adam’s insides feel all funny in the best way possible. “Sometimes I forget how easy it is to make you blush.” Adam looks at the man to his left and inhales deeply, catching whatever hint of cologne Lawrence had decided to use tonight. He shifts his body closer, bringing a knee up onto the seat to better turn himself toward Lawrence. 

“Shut up,” Adam mumbles before he just fucking goes for it. He grabs the back of Lawrence’s neck with his right hand and pulls him in, resting his left on Lawrence’s thigh that barely has time to turn toward him. Their lips come together in no time, and Adam immediately wonders why he hadn’t done this much, much sooner. Lawrence’s lips are soft and plush and welcoming and Adam can feel how they’re slightly upturned at the corners in a smile, which makes him smile back. Lawrence brings both hands up to cradle Adam’s face.

“Finally,” Lawrence grumbles between kisses. Adam grunts, but allows Lawrence’s tongue to slip into his mouth nonetheless. One of Lawrence’s hands slides down to Adam’s chest, pressing against him lightly, but not pushing him away just yet. It comes so naturally, which sends a jolt of terror through Adam. It hadn’t been this natural with James. It had taken them a few tries to stop clashing teeth and accidentally biting each other. But Lawrence is smooth and well-versed and  _ so damn good _ .

“You guys want more beers? I’m all out,” James interrupts, holding his beer bottle upside down. Adam jumps back and put his hands up by his head, then he plays with the tips of his ears before folding his hands in his lap dejectedly. Honestly, he had forgotten that James was there for a split second. James chuckles at his jumpiness and makes his way out of the booth.

“Beers, please,” Lawrence answers nonchalantly for the both of them. He shoots James a satisfied smile, then he’s left alone with a flustered Adam.

“Is he pissed? He seemed pissed,” Adam worries, scooting back to his original position in the booth. He takes a rushed sip of his beer and furrows his brow. “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that right in front of him. Did he seem pissed to you?”

“You’re overthinking this,” Lawrence tells him flatly. “You know how James gets when he’s mad or jealous. I know you know that.” Adam  _ does _ know that, and the look James gave them before leaving was definitely not one of anger. “He’s fine. You’re fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine. That was...normal...for what we’re doing. I think.” Lawrence’s expression becomes one of reassurance. “Do you regret doing it?”

“Fuck no,” Adam answers honestly. He smiles at Lawrence, who leans in for a quick peck on the cheek. Lawrence may be bold and outspoken, but he’s got such a sweet side to him that Adam can’t help but feel the pangs of immense affection in his heart already.

The shots come a bit later into the night, after everyone’s notified that there won’t be karaoke due to technical difficulties. Lawrence scoffs and makes a remark about how he could probably solve the problem before he goes to get more alcohol. James’ eyes widen when he returns with a tray of shots, but Adam looks unfazed.

“So soon?” James jabs, bumping Lawrence’s arm with his own once the drinks are on the table. They’ve relocated to a tall pub table in the crowded center so that a larger group could have their booth. Lawrence sighs and grabbed a glass. He waits for the others to do the same.

“To broken technology and the image of Adam on his knees,” Lawrence proposes, clinking his glass against the others’. Adam flushes yet again, smiling nervously before obliging Lawrence and taking the shot. They all grimace and set their empty glasses down, but the arrival of the warmth of alcohol through their bodies brings smiles to their faces, even if the first shot  _ is _ always the worst.

“Fuck you,” Adam deadpans before beaming at Lawrence, not even pretending to be mad at him. They don't toast after that, just take shots when their conversation lulls. After the third one, James’ hand finds its way to Lawrence’s bicep. They lock eyes, Lawrence’s expression quizzical. Adam knows what’s happening before Lawrence does, apparently. James presses their bodies together swiftly, but hesitates just a bit before kissing Lawrence. Adam sees Lawrence’s eyebrows raise in surprise, then lower in concentration. He wonders if James had studied them before just like Adam’s studying them now. They look so relaxed and happy, with Lawrence bringing up a hand to guide James’ chin. Just from two kisses, Adam’s already gotten a taste of Lawrence’s need to have at least  _ some _ control.

“Finally,” Lawrence mutters again, inaudible to Adam. Instead of rolling with it, James pulls away and looks him dead in the eye.

“You could have kissed me first, you know,” James tells him. “Either of us.” Lawrence hums in agreement.

“See, to a normal human being, that makes sense,” Lawrence reasons. “But my brain has been short-circuiting for three weeks, telling me that maybe only one of you actually likes me, or neither of you. What if I kissed the wrong person?”

“You’re insane,” James leans in and whispers in his ear. He punctuates the remark with a nip at Lawrence’s earlobe. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty.” James pulls away completely, letting Lawrence punch him playfully in the arm.

After that night, there’s hardly any more tension or hesitation. Lawrence isn’t afraid to catch Adam around the waist and sway with him in the morning while they cook breakfast. James isn’t afraid to be affectionate with Adam in any way in front of Lawrence, and vice versa. Lawrence finally gets to see Adam on his knees. Then James on his knees. Then both of them on their knees in front of him.

James drags Lawrence to the gym sometimes before work. Not because he thinks Lawrence needs to work on his body, but Lawrence kind of wants to go, and James enjoys company. And Lawrence’s remarks during James’ squat sets almost always lead to sloppy grinding in the gym showers after their workouts. Adam can never part with his bed to get up and be active that early, even if it means missing out on some pretty close bonding. That means always reassuring James and Lawrence that he’s not feeling left out. His quick lunch dates with Lawrence during the week and his entire drawer plus half a closet of shit at James’ place reinforce that.

But what brings them together the most is the fact that everything soon becomes  _ normal _ . The doubt and anxiety grow smaller and smaller for each of them. They  _ do,  _ however, go through a period where Lawrence is too insecure for sex because he remembers what James and Adam look like naked compared to him ( _ “I have negative abs, Adam! I look like a squash!” “Squash is  _ **_delicious_ ** _!” _ ), but they get through it. They get through everything  _ together _ , every little disagreement or argument. They learn that a kiss to one person does not need to be met with a kiss to the other, and that sometimes they all need alone time and that’s okay. 

Everything is still a tad foreign, but it doesn’t take away from how right it all feels.


End file.
